A Little Magic, 60+ Cousins & a 30-Minute Wedding Cleanup

When I married Kirsten, I knew she came from a large family. Having grown up with just two sisters myself, I didn’t quite realize what I was getting into!

She has seven siblings, and today our eight children have over 60 cousins. Family gatherings are rarely small, and apparently, neither are family weddings.

First Stop: Hogwarts!

Our October Utah adventure began with a 3 a.m. wake-up call for a 6 a.m. flight. Naturally, instead of catching up on sleep when we arrived, we went to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in Salt Lake City.

What an incredible performance! Wands shooting sparks, people vanishing, and special effects that left me completely baffled. It was Broadway meets a world-class magic show.

Little did I know we’d soon be performing our own disappearing act!

A Wedding, a U-Haul, and Questionable Engineering

The main reason for our trip was our niece’s wedding. My incredibly creative sister-in-law arrived with a U-Haul full of decorations, plates, goblets, lanterns, and enough supplies to open a wedding rental business.

Kirsten and her helpers arranged the flowers, my brothers-in-law handled construction, and I became the designated errand boy. Everyone has their talents!

Our biggest project was suspending rows of string lights over a 100-by-100-foot grassy reception area.

I’ll admit, looking at all those lights hanging overhead, I wondered whether 200 wedding guests might end up wearing them.

Thankfully, a few reinforcements to nearby trees saved the day. When evening arrived, the entire setting was magical.

There were gorgeous flowers, beautifully decorated tables, and FOUR wedding cakes. Apparently, choosing just one wasn’t an option!

Now You See It… Now You Don’t!

After two days of preparations, the reception ended around 8:30 p.m. We understood we had until 3 a.m. to clean up.

At 8:45, we discovered we had FIFTEEN MINUTES!

Suddenly, 50 wedding guests, including about 35 relatives, sprang into action. Tables vanished, decorations disappeared, and chairs practically flew toward the parking lot.

Then someone turned off the floodlights.

We were literally dismantling a wedding in the dark!

Somehow, everything was taken down and hauled outside in about 30 minutes.

Harry Potter would have been impressed. Although I suspect he would have used a wand instead of 35 relatives!

The Best Magic of All

Our final evening was much more relaxed. We gathered with friends and family around a fire pit, singing songs, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company.

No elaborate decorations. No deadlines. And thankfully, nothing to dismantle!

Several of our children had joined us in Utah, including two sons we’d missed seeing during our summer travels. It meant I’d now seen all eight of our children this year, something I’m particularly grateful for.

I’d hoped to visit Utah’s spectacular national parks, but never quite made it. Between Harry Potter, wedding preparations, and family gatherings, the scenery will have to wait for another trip!

And that reminded me of something I love about travel.

Sometimes the best memories aren’t about the places we visit, but the people we share them with.

Whether it’s a family reunion, a destination wedding, or simply getting together somewhere special, making time for those connections is worth the journey.

And if you’re planning a family getaway, I’d love to help.

Just promise me we’ll have more than 15 minutes to check out!

Normand Schafer
Founder, Far and Away Adventures

Family wrangler. Questionable lighting engineer. Wedding cleanup survivor. Memory collector.